Leave Out All the Rest
by treeshie
Summary: Nara Shikamaru was always lazy and calm. After SHE had left, the Konoha 12 & more had all worked hard to become strong - and they were. But he was still weak. So if he'd been the weakest...why, then, was he the only one out of them to survive? ANGSTY...
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: All Naruto-affiliated characters do NOT belong to me, TREESHIE, in any shape, way, or form.

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

…_I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad.The dreams in which I'm dying…are the best I've ever had.  
_-Tears for Fears, Mad World-

* * *

"Itachi."

He shifted his head ever so slightly, his Sharingan drilling dark holes into the tree next to Kisame.

"Hn." '_That meant __**what**_,' Kisame supposed.

Their fast pace was undaunted as they conversed, flitting in and out of the Konoha forests – right towards Konoha itself.

"Are you sure about this? I could go in alone; there is not much to deal with there…anymore. It is your hometown… I will understand if attachments are still–-"

"There is no problem," Itachi cut in smoothly, monotone as always. But his eyes were smoldering.

Kisame decided it was probably wise to shut up, because there weren't "no problems" like the Uchiha had said… Hell, just looking into his eyes right now almost made Kisame pee his pants. And after years of partnering, he'd already gotten used to the Uchiha's eyes somewhat – more so than anyone else, he thought.

So right now was a really bad time. Samehada twitched in annoyance across his back, having sensed Kisame's fear. He did not like a weak master. But he didn't harbor any ill intent towards Itachi either… he was not afraid, but still unwilling to act. Samehada was not a fool.

'_Great. Now I'm thinking as if Samehada was a real person_.' Kisame mused wryly. He was going mad, that was for sure.

Itachi's tense chakra spiked up another notch, Kisame silently noticed. '_He's not fine, that egocentric bastard…_'

Konoha was spread out clearly in front of them; they'd reached the rocks resembling what had once been the front gate. The supposedly emotionless Uchiha looked for one second with a dimming Sharingan, before swiftly turning his head to the other side. Out of the corner of his eye, the Hoshigaki caught the slight movement. He himself looked over Konoha with a gaze of…pity. Of anger, of worry, of relief…but mostly out of pity. For Konoha or Itachi, he did not know.

Because everything was no more…

Konoha had finally fallen.

* * *

The entire world seemed fuzzy, swinging on nothing but a weak door hinge… Back and forth, it rocked and blurred, swimming more out of focus with every passing second. Even the clouds were out of norm... why was the sky so… black?

Propped against a rock while sitting, he attempted to move his arm - but nothing happened. _'Why can't I move?' _ The fact he was as weak as a fly right now didn't bother him. In fact, right after that…

'_What's a fly?' _ he wondered. _'Where am I? … Who am I?' _

He was calm. The memories were blurry just like his eyesight, but he was calm – as always. Why was his eyesight blurry anyway? There seemed to be water dripping down his face… And though the skies were black, with no sunlight at all, there was no rain… the rocks he could see from his point of view were all dry, albeit covered everywhere in copious amounts of…red…liquid…

Then he thought over what he had just said.

'_Rocks…rocks. I remember what they are. Skies…clouds! I know those too. But what is that red liquid?'_

"Oi! I found someone," yelled a scratchy voice behind his head. He felt it sounded familiar, but he could not turn and see the man's identity. His body still refused to do more than allow his eyes to slowly blink – resulting in more liquid sliding down his cheeks.

Footsteps. Crunching rocks, sloshing puddles…_ 'There's no rain, but there's sloshing?'_

"Aa…" This voice sounded familiar too… "Nara Shikamaru."

And then it all came rushing back.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed, endlessly, endlessly… his body finally moved, and he crawled within himself, clutching his head. The screams were relentless, and behind him Kisame winced. They stayed that way for a few minutes, Kisame and Itachi just standing over the supposed genius as he screamed his soul out.

"Ahh…kuh…kuh-huuh… Damnit, damnit, damnit, DAMNIT IT ALL TO HELL!!" he roared hoarsely, not even caring once he realized the Akatsuki were there in front of him. They had not… it wasn't them that had… k-k-killed…everyone…

And he knew the liquid sliding down his cheeks were tears now. Pouring down his face like rain, against the black smoke in the sky…

Panting, he stopped screaming and slowly tilted his head up to once again look at the skies. There were no more clouds…none of them were going to ever float by him again, no matter how much he wished it so. His beloved, most important clouds… his most precious, ever-dearest people…

In exhaustion and despair, he fainted once again. Itachi and Kisame briefly shared a look, and then nodded.

After emergency medication was done by the Uchiha, Kisame picked Shikamaru up and slung him over his shoulder. He, after pausing a second to gaze at Itachi, then sprinted out to the forests once again.

The Uchiha lingered back for a while longer, his crimson eyes looking everywhere around the tattered Konoha. As if he was trying to remember everything about it for the last time.

There were no more survivors in all of Konoha, save for the Nara.

Eyes narrowing, he relinquished his Sharingan as onyx black swirled into view. With one last look, he turned around to join Kisame.

'_Konoha has fallen. How pathetic.' _ He didn't bother to point it out to himself that he knew he was denying something.

In the dark smoke covering the entire city, ashes started to fall into the puddles of blood and tears.

The one survivor of an entire nation of powerful Ninja continued to cry, and cry, and cry…

He cried till there were no more tears, but even then his silent screams still continued.

But there were no comrades to listen to him anymore. He was dying, twisting in horror and pain…dying, wishing to die so fretfully…but he could not, they would not let him…so much hurt overloaded his mind and soul…

Because Konoha was dead. And Nara Shikamaru was not.

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

**A/N** : 07.15.2008

Eh… it's short. Reaaally short. I'm pretty sure I could have made it more… sad-ish. My writing skills are still kinda non-existent. Hope you thought it was okay. And I'm still fuzzy on the whole details of this story… what a sad authoress, huh?

If you guys think it's good enough to continue, please tell me. If you need more material, just say that too and I'll post another chapter… And I'm sorry if you think Shikamaru is sorta OC. Eh, I need to work on understanding him a bit more. I thought I could connect to him easily because of our lazy natures and the way we tend to remain calm, but guess not?

Another thing – there will be romance, but I haven't quite decided if Shikamaru will really gain it. And just to clear things up, I'm not that big of a fan of him. Rather…

NEJI FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. luvluvluvluvluvluvluvweeee.

Shikamaru's just rather interesting, so…yeah.

Anyway, since I'm a beginner, if I get at least like… TWO reviews… than whoopee! :D (If I make any mistakes regarding anything from a character's behavior or their place/history in the original Naruto series, then please tell me)

thanks.


	2. ONE: Unrelenting Torrent

DISCLAIMER: All Naruto-affiliated characters do NOT belong to me in any shape, way, or form.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE : UNRELENTING TORRENT**

_Hear me grieving. I'm lying on the floor… whether I'm drunk or dead, I really ain't too sure.  
_-Deep Purple, When A Blind Man Cries-

* * *

"_Mou, Shikamaru no baka!" Pouting her plumped rosy lips and swinging back her long blonde hair, the girl exuded an aura of not-really-controlled anger as she bopped the said man on the head. _

"_Ow…" the lazy genius moaned, rubbing his head whilst yawning and muttering, "How troublesome…"_

_Chouji didn't even spare them a glance. He was busy concentrating on eating out the entire barbeque restaurant, as fast as he could. Shikamaru couldn't fathom how Chouji became skinny and was still eating that much though, as he tried to turn to observe him instead of Ino, who was making loud noises… They started to chat about the different types of barbeque meats, only because Shikamaru wanted to avoid Ino that badly._

"_Anyway, as I was saying, after three years of… HEY LISTEN TO ME!" she shrieked, having caught him talking to Chouji. Thus resulting in several more head bops._

"_Troublesome woman, that hurts…hurry up and say it then," he mumbled, highly annoyed he could be watching clouds and relaxing instead of…whatever he was doing._

"_I was __**trying**__ to, but someone didn't want to listen!" She crossed her arms angrily. Then in one instant, she had a crazy mood swing and became a bouncy, happy blonde. Shikamaru sighed as he watched._

"_Soooo…Like I was saying, after four years of dating and almost 15 years of knowing each other…" she paused dramatically, clasping her hands together and dreamily sighing, "We're going to get married!"_

_Silence. _

_Cricket, cricket…_

_Chouji apparently realized what she had just said, and immediately choked on his food. Shikamaru, a bit shell-shocked, reached over to pat him on the back slowly, as if contemplating Ino's words._

"_A-hem…Um…Ino, would you care to…repeat that again?" Chouji asked timidly. Shikamaru looked at him weirdly._

_She looked at him with annoyance._

"_We talked it over last night, remember? I said, "Let's get married!" and you said yes!"_

_Chouji stared at her, then turned to Shikamaru. He opened his mouth to say something, but Shikamaru held up a hand to interrupt him._

"_Hey, man… I don't know anything about this, alright? Eh…congratulations, I guess?" he half-laughed, half-sniggered. The idea of Ino settling down was shocking enough, but the idea of Ino marrying Chouji and having little baby blonde fatsos – correction, big-boned-kiddies – running around was hilarious. _

_But he was very happy for them._

_They left the restaurant with Chouji still looking confused about the whole deal. Shikamaru looked at him lazily as they walked home in the night darkness._

"_Stop looking so troublesome, you guys are getting married…aren't you happy?"_

_Ino had gone separate ways to…visit __**her**__ gravestone. She was going to tell her the good news, and do the daily visit._

"_W-well, yeah… but it's kind of sudden, and I don't remember saying anything about marriage," he replied, squinting his eyes in thought._

"_Well, congratulations. Hope you live a somewhat troublesome-free life," Shikamaru smirked. They stopped once they reached his apartment._

"_You know that's not possible with Ino," Chouji laughed, joyful all the same. They waved their silent goodbyes, and Shikamaru smiled a lazy smile as he slowly climbed the stairs to his door._

"_Married, huh…" he drawled to himself. He rather liked the idea._

"_The inheritors of Konoha's never-dying will of fire are ready to pass it on already, eh?" _

* * *

The wind swept through his ears, whistling a tune of burnt leaves and half-dead trees as Shikamaru managed to crack his eyes open. He noted dryly that all the leaves were gone, withered and dried on the ground, while the trees themselves were still standing.

_So the roots of our people are still alive, meaning we'll always rebound back, huh…_ He mindlessly recalled that pleasant memory, it having been one of the wisest things their Sixth Hokage – **the **Uzumaki Naruto – had ever said.

Shikamaru was now calm again – it had always been a talent of his. One of the reasons he had been promoted before many of the others, too. And after that thought he immediately winced again.

_I've gotten over it so fast. A steadfast friend, I am,_ he sneered at himself, eyes downcast. It bothered him that he was not trying to commit suicide, or at least ripping out his heart in the grievance of Konoha's death. If _she_ were here…

_Heh. Then the troublesome woman would've punched the daylights out of me with her deadly punches,_ he supposed.

He grunted, the man carrying him having shifted his positioning hanging over his back. The bumpy thing beneath him was…something he couldn't identify. Without even glancing up from the swiftly moving…sand…beneath them, he concluded several important things.

One: They were obviously in Suna territory. Which was good, Suna being an ally…or not, now that things were like this.

Two: He was being carried by an Akatsuki. The scent of blood lingered, along with something close to…fish. Odd.

Three: These were obviously not any weak Akatsuki. Their chakra was lethal and overpowering, especially from the man tagging behind them.

Four: That man was Uchiha Itachi, and the guy carrying him was therefore most likely Hoshigaki Kisame. That must've been the fish smell. And the bumpy thing between him and fish-man was probably Samehada, his sword.

Five: He had no idea what they wanted with him, the most pathetic and troublesome ninja in existence right now.

With careful thinking, Shikamaru figured they would not kill him – he didn't seem to have joined his friends yet, therefore the Uchiha must've wanted him for something.

Of course, right now he wouldn't mind dying – regardless of whether it was torturous or painless.

Not that that mattered. He wasn't going to be able to die anytime soon if the Akatsuki wanted him for something.

_Troublesome timing. _He sighed. Lady Luck either loved him, or the God of Misfortune was hell-bent on ruining his life.

* * *

Not surprisingly, Itachi had felt Shikamaru's light gaze free of any emotion at all directed towards him for a second or so. He glanced down, and noticed the Nara's hooded eyes silently thinking everything over.

He was rather surprised the gaze had held no ill intent at all, or any despair. Not that Itachi minded, because he would prefer not to have a hysterical, depressed man on their hands. But he knew this man, Nara Shikamaru, as the one who had killed – or more like permanently incapacitated – Hidan, apparently single-handedly as well.

_Which is enough to become an Akatsuki, save for the ring problem,_ he smirked. No smirk could beat an Uchiha's.

Shikamaru felt the smirk and the Sharingan dwell on him, and he…he, surprised at himself, felt no fear.

_Probably the after-effects of having your world torn down right in front of your eyes and not being able to do anything about it, _he drawled in his mind. _Not much to be afraid of anymore, when you're willing to die or feel pain._

Behind him, the Uchiha glared as he felt no fear. Damn this man. It made sense though. Nara-san probably did not care for much anymore, but Itachi silently acknowledged his ability to remain calm and accept what happened.

"Tch," Kisame muttered, "Not only is this sand horribly **dry** and annoying to travel on, this idiot's hair is poking in the back and DAMNIT his hair is spiky! Who has hair like that, huh? Must be goddamned insa—"

"I'm glad you like my hair," Shikamaru interrupted sarcastically, not surprised his voice was weak and scratchy. Who knows when he last drank something…other than his own blood?

They paused as soon as he had spoken, Kisame stiffening and immediately dropping the genius onto the hard-packed sand. Itachi did not say a thing, having known he had been awake for the last hour or so.

Shikamaru groaned since that not-so-gentle fall had attacked all the bruises on his poor back, as well as maybe reopening some wounds. That became apparent, as his white shirt started to cover the last inch of dry cloth with red.

"Any gentler and I would've died," he continued scathingly. He wasn't afraid of them; rather, he was hoping they would hate him and then promptly kill him off.

Kisame sent Itachi a questioning look, as if wondering why their…prisoner, or companion?...was being so non-respective and non-afraid. It was a refreshing concept, kind of like when they had picked up their little pink Kitten.

"Cut off with the insults, boy, or I'll skin you alive with my Samehada," he threatened, eyes glowing eagerly at the thought of it. Shikamaru lazily smiled at him and painstakingly managed to stand, wobbling only slightly. He bowed, inclining his head slightly, to Kisame, who stood with one eyebrow raised next to an amused yet understanding Itachi.

"Troublesome… Just hurry up and kill me," he drawled, not bothering to get rid of the hopeful tone in his voice or the fact his eyes were still disrespectfully looking to the side.

Kisame looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"You want me to kill you?" _Huh, so he wasn't as dumb as he looked.'_ Just as Shikamaru opened his mouth to respond, Itachi stepped in-between them and pointed to something in the distance.

"It is almost sunrise. We must be on our way." Without another word, or even a pause to wait for them, he jumped off and returned to their original pace. And then Shikamaru realized something horrible…

"Ugh, so troublesome…" he complained, "Quick, knock me out, fish-man, so we can go—"

"Fish-man?!" Kisame sputtered indignantly.

"—unless you want to carry me while I'm awake, which is just…disgustingly troublesome."

_Because there is no fucking way I'm going to let myself be carried by…_that_…while being conscious and aware._ His eye twitched at the thought of it.

Still frowning over the remark on his fishy looks, Kisame brought one hand down and cleanly struck the area behind Shikamaru's neck, rendering him unconscious. Then picking him up by one arm quite roughly, he literally threw the genius onto his back and smashed his head into Samehada. By accident, of course.

They continued on their way, catching up to Itachi quickly. With a subtle glance that no one thought the fish-like drunkard could pull off, Kisame knew Itachi was still a bit stirred up.

"What are we going to do with this bastard, huh?" Kisame scowled, attempting to divert his attention from Konoha.

Itachi's chakra suddenly blasting out in anger when he heard that gave away two things: one, Kisame's attempt was a complete failure. Two, he really needed to get a rein over his emotions.

With that said – or felt – the rest of the journey to their Suna headquarters was completely silent, save for the occasional growling issuing from Samehada and their own pitter-patters from racing across the sand.

Rubbing the area between his eyes, the Uchiha glanced casually at Shikamaru, asleep on Kisame's back, in front of him. Only, he didn't see a Nara – he saw the will of fire the Sandaime had often spoken softly and proudly about.

"Hn," he grunted. No one heard him.

_I am…becoming weak._

* * *

News traveled fast around the world of ninja. It had only been a few hours, and then Akatsuki had been alerted that Konoha and Sound were at the final stages of war – battle to the death. With both sides seemingly at a tie.

_It could be a bad thing, _the melancholy woman mused. _Because you always seem to get the news you never want to hear first._

She shuffled through the dark hallways and paused in front of a door – it seemed normal-looking, and not any different from the other numerous doors populating the underground facility. But the mixed look she gave it left an impression that whatever it held behind its weak protection was something…different.

"Hey, kitten, yeah," came that enthusiastic, bubbly voice that tore her heart out and yet healed it in one instant. _Naruto…_

"What's wrong, yeah?" Deidara pouted. He looked her over in concern, before noticing the door she was standing in front of. Immediately, his eyes darkened and the carefree aura left as quickly as it had shown at the sight of her.

"It's nothing, Deidara," she smiled, knowing it didn't quite reach her eyes. It wasn't the door – it had been the memories of whom he had such a likeness too…

"Let's go see if Sasori is free so I may learn some more puppet jutsu." Taking his hand in hers, she pulled them down the hallway and pretended not to notice the glare Deidara sent at the door before they walked off.

They arrived at what seemed to be a lounge room, with comfy sofas and even a TV. A peek of red hair could be seen from the big couch directly in front it.

"Sasori-danna, yeah!" Deidara yelled enthusiastically – apparently a bit **too** enthusiastic for the puppeteer, because he then cringed and the mop of hair disappeared from view for a second.

"What is it, Deidara? …And, I suppose, our little flower as well?"

She smiled at his little nickname. "Not too artsy or creative, Sasori. But good enough. I wanted to improve on my pup..pe-t…jutsus…" She had detected the two familiar chakra signatures getting closer.

Deidara stiffened, and Sasori calmly stood up whilst turning the TV off. It'd been showing some stupid rerun of this romantic comedy that revolved around a criminal man and an innocent girl…

_How fitting._ Sasori wondered at the coincidence.

"Let us go meet them out in front. Maybe it is best if you…stayed here, little flower," he said softly. She shook her head, breaking from whatever memories that had been flashing pain across her eyes.

"N-no, it's alright. I already stayed back as it is, so yeah. I should just…go now," she stumbled, pathetically finishing her words. Deidara placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently, gaining him a weak smile in return.

The steps had never echoed as loudly to her ears as they did now as all three of them slowly walked towards the front entrance. She probably should have just stayed back as Sasori had said, but something in her was burning to know about any survivors, while something else knew she should not look, should not **care**, because it would be too painful…

Was it too much to hope for that her precious people had…just maybe, somehow…survived?

Sasori watched her facial expressions carefully, and caught glimmers and flickers of hesitation and despair. He really should have made her stay behind.

Deidara wasn't thinking any different. _Kitten, yeah… You're pushing yourself too hard._

They stopped in front of the big doors that lead to the outside world, swirling of sand…and of whatever pain she was about to come across. Bracing herself for the worst, that they were all possibly…dead, she pushed the doors open with both hands.

And she cried out in grief right on the spot.

Immediately sinking to her knees, she knew the others were all watching and trying to gauge her reaction. One shaky hand reached out to the person sitting in-between her two Akatsuki teammates that had brought him here.

She cried, and cried, and cried…just like he had. Weeping endlessly, she traced the outline of his face, from cheek to jawbone – trembling all the while since her body refused to not cry as well.

She did not love him more than she loved her Akatsuki men…but she wept at what he symbolized. Itachi and Kisame had only brought him back, and that meant there had been no more survivors…

The rest had all…been lost, forever.

As much as her eyes were glued tight in hurt, his were just as well. From even before she had flung open the doors, he had recognized her familiar chakra signature. Shikamaru did not hate her – he did not hold any anger towards her for making them believe she had been dead and instead joined the Akatsuki at all.

Instead, he was glad to have someone mourn with him. Someone to punch him for being so…unfeeling.

"Sh-shikam-maru…" she half-sobbed, half-laughed. He saw the beginnings of hysteria in that short laugh.

"You're…al-l-live…" Another laugh. "Th-that's…great-t…."

Right before she fell completely from what she had tried so hard to brace herself for, he reached out to steady her – instead, resulting in them hugging tightly as if they were each other's lifelines.

They had never been that close with each other – occasionally, when she had still been in Konoha, they would play shoji together. He appreciated her understanding and intelligence, and they were merely...very good friends.

Nothing special hung between them.

But as they hugged like there was no tomorrow, Shikamaru found he still had tears to cry out. They sobbed together, finding comfort in each other's presence and their losses…

He quieted down before she did, patting and rubbing her back in slow circles to soothe her tension. The anguished expression on his face, however, did not disappear.

The Akatsuki had somehow left during their tearful exchange, and he found themselves alone outside in the sand.

Her tears finally dried, and with an unsteady breathing pattern she finally, and a bit reluctantly, pulled out from their embrace.

He smiled, a bit wistfully – and being that it still contained a hint of laziness, she shakily laughed. Some things would never change.

"Hey, it's been a while…" he murmured, looking down at the exotically colored long hair held between his fingertips. He dragged his eyes back up slowly, before meeting her jade green ones.

"…Sakura."

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**A/N: **07.17.08

Well, today's my brother's birthday. He actually passed his driving test.

…Talk about scary.

Anyway, I made this chapter a bit longer. Excuse the weird Itachi moments, because I'm having serious writer's block…bad. I sort of forced myself to wrote some of this chapter, and it never turns out good when it's forced. Oh well. I'll deal with it once it ruins the rest of the story later. And because it's one o'clock in the morning, I should probably consider going to bed soon…

My uh…hopefulness for two reviews was quite quickly crushed. .. oh well. I'll be satisfied with one. …please? :D

Oh, and I didn't have much time to go over it, but everything should be in line if we're talking Grammar and spelling…probably.


	3. TWO: Reminiscence

DISCLAIMER: All Naruto-affiliated characters do NOT belong to me in ANY WAY. How troublesome. (SNIGGER)

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay, but I've been unexpectedly busy…I have HOMEWORK and it's even the middle of SUMMERTIME…this suuuucks. (I haven't done a single page. Woops.) Have fun reading, hopefully. I sure as hell ain't having fun working…on math…

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO : REMINISCENCE**

_Will you swear on your life...that no one will cry at my funeral?_

_-Life is Beautiful : Sixx A.M.-_

* * *

Whenever it rains, there's always a reason behind it.

_I hate the rain._

Shikamaru lay in his makeshift bed, arms crossed behind his head for support – and unconsciously, his fists were also clenched tight. The rain continued to pitter-patter against the roof.

As much as he loved to watch clouds, it was just because they were peaceful. Not like the rain. While the clouds were carefree and light, the torrential pours of rain were heavy, deep, and…too meaningful.

Looking into things was more troublesome than it was worth.

_I'd thought there'd be no rain in Suna. Che…_

The downpour refused to stop. It was just like when the Sandaime Hokage had died… except they weren't holding a funeral. Shikamaru idly yawned, though he wasn't sleepy for once, and sat up – dimly aware of the fact that whatever room he was in had no lighting and was completely pitch black.

The last thing he remembered was carrying a shaking Sakura in from the rain and setting her down on a couch…and then he had lay on another couch just thinking everything over.

_Fell asleep. How troublesome…_

**Knock, knock. **The door opened before he could even say anything – which made him scowl, what happened to privacy? – and a red-haired Akatsuki cloaked little…boy…came in.

The calm, calculating gazes they gave each other were almost exactly the same, which they both noticed and smirked at.

"Nara-san, your presence has been requested by the little flower in the garden," he said smoothly, with a voice that matched his age well. And his looks…but definitely not his mature eyes, nor his aura of power and experience. Shikamaru looked away, feigning boredom.

"Che. I'll be there in a second." _Little flower? Oh god, did he really just…? _He tried not to choke in shock, or was it laughter?

The day Shikamaru would get over hearing the cold-blooded Akatsuki call Sakura _little flower_ seemed far, far away…veeerry far.

"Goodday to you, Nara-san. If you need any of our assistances, Sakura-san will be able to direct you around." He gave a nod, promptly leaving and shutting the door before Shikamaru could say anything – just like how he had entered.

Shikamaru wondered if he did that on purpose. If so, it was proving very effective in annoying him…

"What a troublesome guy," he muttered to no one in particular. Shuffling to the door, he realized blankly he still reeked of blood…and so he was in dire need of a bath and new clothes. Perhaps it was also time for a haircut.

_Well. Great look for greeting your long lost friend who you thought was dead for, what, 5 years, and not to mention the only other member of…or pre-member…of the Konoha…Twelve…_

He paused on his way down the hallway to what he sensed as Sakura's chakra. It was sweet, calm, and held a nice pinkish tinge. He always saw chakra signatures in colors.

_Or not. Now that there's only two of us. I suppose our troublesome group is now disbanded…_

Shikamaru shook his head quickly to chase the morbid thoughts away. That, after all, would be clashing with his image, wouldn't it? Then again…it **was **raining. He'd have a nice excuse handy.

Turns out Sakura herself was sitting peacefully in the rows of Cherry Blossom trees, as if asleep. But something told him, as he saw it, that this ethereal sight included her being conscious during at all.

Slightly in awe, Shikamaru looked around as he stepped over the vine-covered threshold into what appeared to be a vast green landscape in the middle of the entire Akatsuki base. While he was enjoying the simplicity of its chosen plants and overall beauty tremendously, he couldn't hold back the 'genius' state that sometimes, uncontrollably, took over his mind.

_Literally impossible to grow a lush garden like this in Suna, right? Unless this could be in a greenhouse, which I doubt because the temperature hasn't changed any and I don't see any signs on glass. No, wait, it's still raining outside..._

Possibilities on the concept behind the meadows flew through his mind quickly, more than 200 accumulating in less than half a minute. Maybe his brain had improved, making up for the lack of ninja skill improvement.

_So this place isn't connected to the outside. The skies are all clear. Genjutsu, ka? That's probably it… Ooh, look at those clouds… perfect blue sky, perfect light breeze, perfect soft grass to lie on, perfect array of white clouds to watch…_

Suddenly finding it quite hard to think at all, Shikamaru dumped all intellectual processes aside and hurried to lie down on the oh-so-inviting, green grass…

But like always, it was sadly not to be.

"No, you're not going to sit that "troublesome" lazy ass of yours onto _my_ grass before you answer my questions."

He'd almost – scratch that, HAD – forgotten that the reason for coming here was Sakura. And she was still sitting under the trees right beside the most delicious looking patch of grass. If this was really a genjutsu, Shikamaru almost HATED Sakura with a passion for doing it on purpose. (And he never hated anyone…not really. He was just too lazy to.)

"Troublesome, so, what did you want?" he asked, trying to feign disinterest and failing horribly because his words came out completely rushed. Sakura giggled, her exotic pink hair swaying into the wind's dance from the light movement of laughter. It was tied into a very loose braid – her hair was thick, so it was (for lack of better words) big, and yet beautiful on her.

She patted the grass beside her. "Well? Come. And no," she added at the slightly hopeful look on his face, "we're not cloud-watching or relaxing so get down here before I make you." To prove her point, she managed to curl those dainty fingers into a fist. A terrible, scary, chakra-enhanced fist.

Shikamaru gulped. "Y-yes, ma'am."

She pleasantly smiled at him and uncurled that scary fist to take up the position she had been sitting in before. Rather than just lean against the tree and stretch his legs out like her, Shikamaru chose to sit cross-legged, hands spread out in back of him for support while his gaze floated upwards…hesitantly.

It was a good thing to, because she glared as soon as she saw any sign of him looking up. And so he gave up.

"What a drag… what questions could you possibly have for me?" A loaded question, and they both knew it.

_Of course she has questions. You're the damn last still legal Konoha man on this fucking planet, lazy ass, and she's __**sensitive **__about this whole __**deal**__, and you're still ASKING?_

She, much to his relief though, didn't show any signs of discomfort or lingering depression. He supposed she was able to get over it in five days… at least, that seemed to be how long he'd slept.

"I…I want to know about…about _everyone_," she whispered, almost too soft for him to catch. "You know…before everything. What happened when I, uh…l-left."

Of course. He should have known she'd ask this question.

Shikamaru's brow furrowed, something he did only rarely. "You know what to expect from them, right?"

She nodded, slightly anxious to get it over with. He sighed in resignation, thinking it'd probably be best to tell her – hey, at least no one would get killed out of anger now.

"Frankly, the whole thing was troublesome." He paused, waiting for her sniggers to stop and looking slightly miffed. Sakura waved her hand in apology, motioning for him to go on.

"Everyone was depressed. I had no one to play shoji with…shush, no interruptions," he said, glaring when she was about to speak up. "Naruto was most likely to hang himself, so Tsunade took him under her care for a while. I don't know how that worked out, but Naruto came out a slightly serious but still kinda cheerful person…so it was all good."

He gave her a sideways glance with heavily lidded eyes. "Of course, Naruto became the Rokudaime Hokage." Sakura's instantaneous reaction was a smile and then a sigh.

"I missed it, huh…" she whispered. _I broke my promise. I'm so sorry, Naruto…would you have ever forgiven me?_

"Sasuke took it just as bad," he continued, "but he wasn't going to suicide anytime soon, because he'd already tried that after he thought he had killed Itachi. He considered it his entire fault for hurting you from the beginning till you just finally snapped apart from them. Of course, that meant training. He trained to take the pain away, and was always on missions. After a couple of years, who would've thought?" Shikamaru smirked. Sakura looked with a questioning gaze.

"Sasuke settled down. With a family and everything. He was an ANBU captain, but he quit that when he married and instead opted for becoming a teacher. Teacher of the newest generation of a troublesome team 7, no less." That had been a shock. Sasuke had come back from a long three-month mission, and told them he was quitting because he didn't want to place himself in any danger for his lady-friend.

In a conspiratorial whisper, Shikamaru motioned for Sakura to come closer and whispered into her ear, "It was Hyuuga Hanabi."

Sakura laughed. Sure, he had been her crush, but in the end they had become the best of friends…before she left, of course. Which was why she now found **Sasuke** marrying a **Hyuuga** downright hilarious. _Guess he achieved his wish to revive the Uchiha clan. Sasuke-kun…I'm sorry you didn't get to watch your kids grow up._

"I'm sure Kakashi was the slowest to get over it," he murmured, eyes closing in memory. Sakura knew that was most likely as well, given his tragic past and all…

"You know we thought you were dead?" She looked away uneasily.

"Yea…because I—"

"You told Tsunade to tell us that?" She hesitated, before nodding. He noted she had an odd habit of alternating between biting her bottom lip and twirling a strand of stray hair when she was nervous or sad.

He forgave her, of course. "It's alright, some of us suspected you were alive. Don't worry about it now." She nodded again, not trusting herself to speak unless her voice would give away that slight waver of tears to come. Not like Shikamaru didn't notice anyway.

He placed a comforting hand on her head, attempting to crack a lazy grin. "Kakashi was later than ever to every meeting, so we ended up always giving him the scheduled time moved up 3 hours. It didn't really help, though…"

_Shikamaru was on his way to attend the Hokage's latest emergency meeting…most likely another attempt to allow him to petition for more Ichiraku Ramen stands. Nothing new there._

_He yawned. And then yawned again after a couple minutes. Nothing new at all._

_Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a certain ANBU-masked silver-haired man jumping towards the direction opposite of the Hokage Tower. Yup, nothing new there either._

"_So troublesome…ugh, maybe I should just go get him for the sake of this meeting going by faster," he moaned. Decision set, he dropped the leisurely walking pace he'd set and hopped after Kakashi._

He's going to the memorials? _Shikamaru mused over this new piece of information, storing it for future reference._

_Using his newly-gained ANBU stealth skills, which, if he might say, were a PAIN to use since they were so ENERGY-WASTING, he stalked after Kakashi until they landed in front of two memorials._

_The smaller of the two of course being Sakura's. It was a beautiful stone-carving – the Kazekage had used his sand and Sasuke his sword to finely carve the block of jade stone into a cherry blossom. Clichéd, but beautiful nonetheless. Shikamaru had been there plenty times enough to have memorized the words engraved upon it already…_

To the one we hold dearly, and cannot ever hope to express all the love which we wish to in these few words. May she be happy, in the life that she has chosen, and for all eternity as well.

_Words chosen by Tsunade, as the one closest to being direct family – parental wise. The others were all brothers, sisters…best friends for life._

_The other memorial was something Shikamaru knew that Kakashi visited all the time. He hadn't heard the story clearly, but it apparently involved having lost all his teammates and gaining the Sharingan from one of them._

"_You know, if you're going to come here everyday, at least get up earlier so you won't have make troublesome excuses for being late," he drawled, revealing himself by walking out from behind the trees. Kakashi wasn't surprised – he'd probably known he was standing there the whole time._

"_Yo, Captain." Shikamaru cringed._

"_Don't call me that…Kakashi-__**sensei**__," he smirked back. This time it was the Sharingan-wielder's turn to cringe._

"_All you kids make me feel old. Maybe I should just move on, eh…?"_

_They both knew what he was wishing for. _

"_It's not wise to leave the Hokage hanging…who knows how much ruckus he'll make."_

_Silence. They stood there, just gazing at the memorials for a while._

"_You know it's probably another petition for Ramen stands?"_

"_Yeah. What a drag."_

"_So why do we have to go?"_

_"He'll wait the whole time for us, especially you."_

"…_And?"_

"_Sasuke's going to murder you in your sleep."_

"_We should probably go. I'm sure Sakura and Obito will forgive us."_

_And Shikamaru smirked. _Successful. Now some troublesome events have been avoided.

"_Oh, Captain…" Cringe._

"_What?"_

"_I heard you were getting it _**on **_yesterday night at the ba—"_

"_Kindly shut up, and let's get this troublesome thing over with."_

_All that was heard in response was sniggering._

"…And I actually got along with Kakashi okay," he paused, eye twitching over that one memory. Yeah, right.

"What about…Neji-kun…?" she asked hesitantly. Shikamaru stiffened. Sakura took that as a bad sign and sighed.

"So…he didn't get over me, even through…everything that had happened?"

"No, he didn't." It was raw fact that everyone in Konoha knew.

The relationship between Sakura and Neji had lasted for three years, after all. A year before she'd…died, they mysteriously broke up for reasons no one else knew, other than Team 7 and Team 10. (Ino was a natural blabbermouth, and of **course** Sakura had told her best friend.)

Sakura had broken it off once she realized she really loved Neji…like a brother.

Though Neji wasn't quite feeling the same. He was more…**in** love.

But because he was Neji – always so polite and respectful – he knew that if he wanted to preserve any relationship with Sakura, becoming another one of her brothers was the best bet.

So basically everyone in town knew that Neji still loved her, save for the loved girl herself who denied it; only immersed in the happiness of believing everything was fine.

"Neji really loved you. It was sad to watch," he said, mulling over what words to say in order to soften the blow. "And he was one of the smarter ones – or maybe it was his undying love for you. Either way, he came right up to me to discuss your…death."

She gasped.

"Yeah, he knew you weren't dead. So he questioned me over it. I wasn't going to say anything, having figured most of it out…and because more than half of what he wanted to know would leave him heartbroken once again. But not getting any answers out of more sunk him into deeper depression…"

Sakura's lower lip trembled. _Great, Shikamaru. You seem to have a talent for making girls cry by just talking. What a drag… _Not knowing how else to keep it at bay, he just plunged into giving it all out.

"Hyuuga Neji was disowned from the Hyuuga Clan for his abysmal performances in given missions and his refusal to marry the woman he was paired up with."

She was sure the world hated her now. _Neji-kun…Neji-kun…I'm so sorry…It's all my fault, and you had no family with you…Neji-kun, if you never forgive me, it's alright. I'm so sorry…_

The tears spilled down. Shikamaru looked on with alarm as the pleasant meadows and swaying trees shifted in and out of view.

_A genjutsu. She's not going to be able to hold it up._

"Sakura…Neji didn't hate you," he said gruffly. Emotional talks were so not his thing. But Ino wasn't here anymore.

Wrong move, because Sakura cried harder.

_You'd think for all my brains I could at least say a few right words for ONCE in my life. My god._

"He knew you were alive. So he told me not to tell you, because…I don't know, Neji always knew everything somehow. And I'm sorry I had to tell you. But there's no point in hiding it," he sighed. Once he reached hell, Neji was going to mass-murder him with a cycle of revive – kill – revive – kill…

The genjutsu slipped from her grasp, and he found themselves sitting on a solid floor, the entire place covered in darkness making it hard to see anything. Her pink hair was the only light beacon.

So he reached out, and ruffled her hair up like he'd done when they were kids. She looked up, the cursed liquid still seeping out slowly, but attempted to giggle – it came out like a mix of a cough and a choke. But Shikamaru understood anyway. He usually did.

"Do you want to continue this later…?" he asked softly. The only response was a timid nod.

"Alright. Troublesome, but we'll talk later." She snorted when he said his famous line.

"H-Ha, ha…haven't ch-changed much, you lazy bastard, h-huh…"

Not even bothering to correct the fact that he wasn't a bastard, more of an asshole type, he swiftly pulled them both upright in one go and steadied her on her feet when she swayed.

Now was probably a good time to let her now he had noticed it. The emotion that had flitted across her face, and that man's…towards each other. It had been fleeting, but this was what Shikamaru was best at – observing and knowing.

"Sakura, I'm not good with these things…"

She sniffled and then snorted again. He took that as a 'yes, no duh.'

"So you should probably go see Itachi instead."

* * *

In the far away corner of his bedroom, Itachi sneezed.

Odd. Must be the damned rain.

He found himself thinking about Sakura.

No surprise there, really.

He found himself unconsciously softening his features at the mere thought of her.

Well, that just sucked.

It was not the first time he had not noticed it, but the girl was becoming such a weakness.

_I am so pathetic._

To strive for the power he had now reached, Itachi had come a long way. The massacre of his entire clan was something that had been inevitable, because he was a shinobi – they must complete their mission. But the rest…he had come a long way from leaving Konoha to joining Akatsuki and now gaining a high rank in said organization.

His foolish little brother had attempted to kill him so many times, as well. In their last encounter, Itachi had really almost died. If it had not been for that pink-haired phenomenon he now so could not separate from…

Perhaps it was best that his brother had died somewhat content. At least, he should have been. Itachi was dead to him.

But either way, to give up all that work just for one measly little – scratch that…one very strong, agile, and deadly girl?

The answer would come in a heartbeat to any other S-Rank Missing Nin.

_I should not even be thinking about this. She is of no importance._

That's what he tried to convince himself. Except it didn't work at all.

Itachi now perceived himself as utterly weak.

But if it meant becoming weak in order to have her, he'd choose being weak over losing her any day.

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**A/N: **07.21.08

And, wow. Today's my Aunt's birthday. I always write on birthdays. So much for paying attention to the birthday people.

Sorry I haven't updated. I've been busy, like I said… And that writing this was slightly hard. For some reason, it's not coming to me smoothly at all.

Are Ino and them Team 10 anyway? I can't even remember.

Which is why I'm pretty sure I'm going mad.

Hope the reading was okay.


	4. THREE: His Story

**DISCLAIMER: **All NARUTO-affiliated characters to not belong to me. AND CERTAIN PARTS IN THIS CHAPTER WERE NOT WRITTEN BY ME (some flashbacks) BUT I DID CHANGE THEM AROUND A BIT…SLIGHTLY. TYVM.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE : HIS STORY**_  
What a drag…  
-Nara Shikamaru-_

* * *

While he'd still been around six years of age, Shikamaru decided that proceeding as a Ninja was probably a good idea.

Oh, how wrong he had been.

The initial thought was that his life would be at least _somewhat _more interesting than the pitiful, quiet life he would lead as a citizen; he wanted to just become a Chuunin, or maybe even a Jounin, settle down with a non-troublesome wife, and have a son and a daughter. He didn't need ANBU status – too hassling. After carefully watching interactions between his parents, he deduced that finding a non-troublesome girl to marry was just as hassling, if not more, as well.

After graduating the academy, Shikamaru's insights had changed, if only a slight bit. For one, he was pretty sure he'd never get a nice, normal family because he couldn't seem to spot a _normal_ girl anywhere. For goodness sakes, no one really expected him to marry a freaking fangirl of Sasuke's, did they? And as for the other reason…

There was just this atmosphere, this **air**, around them – the Konoha 12. That tension and feeling that surrounded them when they gathered – enough for anyone to notice they weren't just any regular shinobi. They were going to make a change somewhere, whether they wanted to or not. And he definitely didn't want any part in it.

He understood enough as he watched Team 7 grow that them being thrown into Hatake Kakashi's hands was no coincidence. Nor was it any coincidence they were named Team 7 – all three to follow the footsteps of the original Sannin.

Being teammates with Yamanaka Ino – best friend/rival of Haruno Sakura, legit Team 7 member – only helped to complicate the matter. Before he could do anything, Team 10 was dragged into everything as well, and Shikamaru couldn't escape anymore.

During the Chuunin exams, when he felt maybe – for **once** – they'd have a normal exam and just get on with life, he realized that idea was as likely as getting Chouji to burn all the potato chips in the world. As soon as Naruto had shouted to the entire damned shinobi world to hear that they weren't afraid of any of the others, he'd realized there was no possible way, EVER, to get out of this.

Thinking back, Shikamaru wondered if Neji hadn't been that mentally challenged in his 'fate and destiny' issues after all.

It was especially bad once they encountered that whole fight in the forest with everyone. He saw enough to realize something bad had happened, and that whatever it was had really riled up Team 7. Once they got to the point where the Examiner allowed them the option of giving up, he hadn't missed Sakura's shaky hand that was going to rise. Nor the way Sasuke caught it, and the way they hissed on and on about some inner struggle at each other.

As for Team 10's leader, he wasn't even of normal lineage. Sarutobi Asuma, eh? Just had to be the Sandaime Hokage's son, rather than maybe just an average Jounin or something...hell, he'd had even be fine with a man like Ebisu! But NO. Neji's ideals of "fate" just had to stick them together.

And when Asuma had gotten suspicious after Shikamaru's constant wins in their shoji games (he doesn't remember ever having lost to him, actually), he'd given those weird blocks for Shikamaru to piece back together.

Of course he had known that was an IQ test. He wasn't so dumb as to think Asuma was merely having fun watching him put blocks together to make a freaking square. That would have been freaky.

Either way, he decided it was even more troublesome to try to fake having a low IQ, knowing he had already blown it by winning every shoji game. In the beginning, he wanted to let Asuma win some so he could just keep playing without being questioned, but everytime he tried to make the wrong move his mind was intent on shutting down on him. Shoji was a love of his life, after all.

So Shikamaru dutifully completed the puzzle in true nature to his IQ, albeit grumbling and complaining the whole time out of sheer habit.

So that was how Asuma discovered he wasn't going to end up as a normal shinobi.

That had been rather depressing times, really. And then they were expected to fight in the finals of the Chuunin exams. Why was he even on that damned finalists list, anyway? Whatever happened to being content with leading a normal, average shinobi's life?

He wholeheartedly agreed with the crowd, for once, when they booed at him – they had waited for Sasuke's exciting match, but instead got some no-name boy's.

All intentions to forfeit were thrown out the window once Naruto pushed him onto the battlefield – as well as hearing Ino's seriously loud shouts about pounding him into the ground if he didn't win. He didn't even want to know what she'd do if he just defaulted.

So Shikamaru, once again, found himself going through another hassling adventure of sorts. He won, but he decided just to forfeit in the end. He figured he'd become a Chuunin anyway – not out of self-confidence, because he wasn't being arrogant, but just fact.

And then finally Sasuke arrived, bringing with him a whole whirlwind of disaster and drama.

At that point, Shikamaru groaned out of pity for himself. He was going to DIE at this rate.

_All I wanted was a peaceful life of cloud-watching and a nice family, _he'd been thinking, _so what in the hell did I do to even __**deserve**__ this?!_

The moment when he almost abandoned Naruto and Sakura had been a life-changing experience. To say he actually considered it was quite shameful, even for him, but he didn't deny it to whoever that asked.

Apparently he just couldn't leave them alone, coupled with the fact that Shikamaru knew he wouldn't get out of it alive either way. He decided dying by the enemy's hands was probably better than dying by your friends'.

But he lived. God really didn't want him, he supposed.

And he was the only one to become a Chuunin.

The rest of his life was just as eventful. Akatsuki killed Asuma. So he killed Akatsuki. End of that chapter.

He thought about it simply, but it just wasn't that simple at all. If he let Ino hear that, or even Temari, one of them would be bound to murder him in his grave after the other was done. And he knew the loss of Asuma was something permanent, something he wished had never happened.

Those times were so peaceful compared to the horrors now.

Kurenai and Asuma's baby had also been his to look out after that – the rascal, at barely three years of age little Kaijin had succeeded in playing his first game of shoji successfully. Of course, he didn't beat Shikamaru and he was far from winning by any chance…but he'd been able to play somewhat sensibly, actually thinking over each piece and its movement capabilities that could lead to a success in the shoji game war.

Shikamaru had treasured little Kaijin, beoming his teacher and vowing to take Asuma's place as his "cool" role model.

That must have been the time something inside him snapped.

The feeling of trying to avoid every disaster to come their way disappeared after that. He would still rather live without all the dangers and excitement, but now – if it ever came his way after that – Shikamaru would face it without grumbling so much.

He respected himself as more of a person after that. All thanks to his teacher…along with the forever important information Asuma had parted with him.

O O O O O O O O O O O O

"_If I were to liken the shinobis of Konoha to these pieces, Shikamaru…You'll be just about a "Knight"," Asuma stated, a wry grin flitting over the face Shikamaru had gotten used to over all the years. He paused, raising his eyebrow as if to ask…_

"_Why?" Asuma took another whiff of his cigarette. _

"_This piece hasn't got much strength, but it's able to jump over pieces to keep moving forward… This unique way of moving is a lot like your creative, flexible way of thinking," he explained. Shikamaru pulled that standard sullen look he always carried, especially when he was thinking deeply._

"_Then what about you, sensei?" _

"_I'm nothing. I'm just a…" and he broke off, shuffling to move forward the shoji piece he represented. Shikamaru cracked a grin just as serious and wry as Asuma's previous one as he looked at it._

"_A sacrificial piece…is that it?" he said. _

_A few moments of silence rang over them, save for the pausing clicks of shoji pieces battling each other._

"_Then…" Asuma grinned. "Do you know who would be the "King"?"_

"…" _Shikamaru gave him a strange look. "Isn't it the Hokage?"_

"_Hm…I used to think so too, till some time ago… But then I found out I was wrong," his sensei explained. Thinking hard, Shikamaru couldn't come up with another answer as to who was "King"._

"_So then who is it?"_

_Asuma smoothly slid another piece forwards, the grin slowly disappearing a tad._

"_You'll know when the time comes."_

_They played the rest of the game in silence. Shikamaru won._

…

_And now his teacher was dying._

"_Shoji…I never beat you, not even once…" He broke off, coughing up blood. "Oh yeah…and that talk about "King"…"_

_Shikamaru remembered._

"_I'll tell you…who it is… Come closer…" More coughing cut him off. Shikamaru leaned in, his ear to his sensei's mouth, just close enough to catch the dying whispers he uttered. Eyes widened in shock._

"_Asuma…you…that's why…?" he said in disbelief. In answer, Asuma slowly shut his eyes._

"_I'm counting on you…Shikamaru…"_

…

"_Freakin' knight…" Nara Shukaku smirked. The minute his son had come home, he'd asked to play a shoji game._

"_If you think of the Leaf shinobi as Shoji pieces, that'd be me," Shikamaru smirked back. Shukaku just stared._

"_Whaa…?"_

"_That's what Asuma said," he shrugged. Shukaku sat back to contemplate it for a while, before bursting out in raucous laughter._

"_Haha, he knew you pretty well... Good ol' Asuma…"_

_Shikamaru moved his piece forward._

"_So…" his father continued, voice now entering his rarely-heard serious tone, "Who's the "King"?"_

_Shikamaru took his time in answering, opting to hover the next piece over where he would place it next before tilting his head up to reveal a slightly rueful grin. He clicked it down._

"…_The children unborn who'll grow up to be the next generation of Leaf Ninja…"_

"_They're the king."_

_He understood now, Asuma._

O O O O O O O O O O O O

After that, nothing much more happened for a while. Though the worst troubles were brewing slowly by themselves, in the dark. They unleashed themselves one by one…starting with Team 7's reunion. Shikamaru, somehow, wasn't surprised at all as he thought about it now. Of course it'd been Team 7 to start all the trouble…probably from when they had first been formed, too.

It was the entrance of Uchiha Sasuke, who had finally made his way back to Konoha under the idea that Itachi was dead already, that set it off. Tsunade had information from Jiraiya that, unfortunately, proved otherwise, but she strictly ordered her closest abordinates – which surprisingly included Shikamaru – to not mention a single word of it. Sasuke would be much happier without knowing Itachi had survived their fight.

And one year after Sasuke came back, the last member of Team 7 yet to leave Konoha …finally left.

Haruno Sakura was kicked out of her family and ripped of her surname, stripped of all shinobi status and thrown into trial, only to come out guilty. Tsunade had wept for days.

To the commoners, their loss of the bright, kind girl who always helped out was understandable.

But it was complete death to her friends.

Naruto, Kakashi, Ino, Neji…hell, even** Sasuke** and **Sai **pleaded on her behalf. Yes. Sasuke, the great, prideful, Uchiha clan member, along with Sai – who had yet to grow out the rest of his emotions…got down on their knees and cried in front of the Council. But to no avail.

It hadn't been Tsunade's decision, of course, but the Council had ways to override everything.

This was one time where Shikamaru had felt the most helpless. It was he who had the brains…why couldn't he think some way out of this?!

"_Shikamaru, you asshole…you BASTARD…I thought you were her __**friend**__," Naruto growled. "WHY WON'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!"_

Not a particularly pleasant memory. He'd allowed Naruto to beat the shit out of him, and told Tsunade to excuse the Jinchuuriki of any punishment as well. Shikamaru had deserved it.

And so, one night, Shikamaru went down to the prisons to visit her. His seventh visit that week, beaten only by Team 7's record of visiting her every morning, afternoon, and night.

_The minute the guards finished greeting him, and he'd stepped one foot into the building, Shikamaru felt something was wrong. He immediately dashed to her prison door, and slowed to a stop at what he saw inside._

_There was blood everywhere, a strange strip of black cloth lying on the floor. And Sakura was nowhere in sight._

_The turmoil after that was outrageous, as everyone gathered in the Hokage's office with a tense atmosphere floating around. They waited impatiently for her to explain everything._

_The minute she walked into the office, every inch of her in Hokage mode…Tsunade declared Sakura dead._

_Hinata fainted, Neji and Tenten already prepared to catch her. Though Shikamaru suspected they were doing it unconsciously from the pale, unfocused looks on their faces. He'd never wished to see so much emotion on the Hyuuga's usual stoic face._

_Team 7 ran to hold Naruto back from beating the shit out of whatever he got his hands on, and failing to do so made him just sink down to his knees and let out the longest, most painful scream Shikamaru thought he'd ever heard._

_Kakashi and Tenzou just stood there quietly, each holding one of Naruto's arms, and they looked at each other. Shikamaru wasn't even sure it was humanly possible to convey so many feelings through the eyes, and not explode from it gathering within you._

_Sai had this confused look on his face, like he didn't understand what was going on. It was possible he thought Tsunade might be joking in a way, but one look at Naruto told him that wasn't it. It took a while, because his emotions were still kind of hard to get hold of…but Sai started crying. At first he didn't even know what the tears were, just touching one with a finger and staring at it queerly. But once he started to get the whole picture…_

_Sai looked shocked beyond recognition. His eyes were wide open in understanding. And then he grabbed his mini-art pack, strode to the door, bowed to everyone (which made several cry even harder), and left._

_Sasuke wasn't there anymore. As soon as Tsunade had walked into the room, he'd narrowed his eyes, heard what she had to say, and promptly teleported away in a burst of bright light – leaving behind a teardrop that plopped onto the ground right at the feet of Ino._

_Ino went hysterical. She started raving to herself about…about __**everything**__ that had gone between the two best friends since childhood. She cried while doing so, and raved and raved…No one paid her any attention, because there was nothing surprising over her actions, and they were too busy mourning themselves. Only Chouji, who stood by her side, gruffly pulled her into an embrace. They stood there, her sobbing muffled by his armor, and his tears swallowed by her hair._

_Lee crouched in the corner, clenching and unclenching his fist as he stared at it, and then promptly swept from the room as well. Shikamaru managed to catch him wiping that very fist on his eyes, swearing and muttering something about 1000 laps._

_Kiba and Shino weren't uttering a word. Side-by-side, they took the news in stride and didn't show any other emotion other than stuffing their hands in their pockets and looking down. Akamaru was whining and looking more scared every second at the depressing smell around the room. He shifted into his smaller dog morph, and jumped into Kiba's jacket, seeking comfort._

_Shikamaru, himself, was looking at Tsunade. Her eyes looked red and puffy from crying, and even though they had a hardened look burned into them, he noticed her lip quiver slightly._

_He noticed everything around him in one instant, but he didn't even feel his own tears flowing down until much later. It wasn't until when most left and the only ones in the office were him, Kakashi, Tenzou, Shino, and Neji, did he realize his shirt was wet. And when he reached up to touch it, a drop of salty water fell onto his palm._

I'm crying? _It was surprising, in a way. At least to him._

"_I-I'm sorry," Tsunade breathed out slowly, struggling to maintain a proper Hokage image._

"_No," Tenzou replied softly. "We're sorry as well, Hokage-sama." At that, all five of them bowed deeply. Whether it was to show their sorrow or her's, or to show respect, or even just to hide their own faces, Shikamaru didn't know._

"_Thank you," she gulped. She forced her tears down._

"_The Akatsuki came in and…a-and…killed her. The b-body wasn't there once Shikamaru arrived on the scene," she explained, motioning to him at where he appeared in the story. The others looked to him for a brief second, before going back to Tsunade as she opened her mouth to speak again._

"_We will h-hold a…a f-funeral…tomorrow. Please tell…the others. And tell them what…happened…to S-Sak—…to her."_

_They nodded as one, and left the room in single-file line. Shikamaru didn't miss the looks every one of them gave each other, meaning they all knew there was something she wasn't telling them._

_But given the current situation, each thought better than to question anyone._

_Tonight would be self-mourning, and then tomorrow would be Konoha's mourning._

_Team 7 was broken…forever._

Tsunade took in Naruto after that for pre-Hokage training, like he'd told Sakura earlier in the day. He changed after that, and became Hokage quickly. Tsunade was just too tired of…life, of everything…to continue her important job.

Shikamaru had tried various times to ask her anything about Sakura's real disappearance, but each and every time he was threatened with being stripped of his shinobi ranking and Shizune pushed him off. Each and every time after that, Tsunade pulled out her best Sake and drank like there was no tomorrow.

Because she had lost what she considered her _daughter_. What tomorrow was there for her?

Shikamaru lay in the rough bed at the Akatsuki's Suna base once again, thinking everything over tiredly.

What would have happened if Sakura had never left? He wondered if they would have been stronger…strong enough to face the inevitable battle Sound waged at them.

If everyone might have still been alive…Ino, Chouji…that little brat Kaijin…

_No use thinking of 'what if's', you lazy-ass._

But he thought over everything, adding in what if's everywhere.

_I'm sorry, Asuma-sensei. I'm sorry, father…_

After the death of Asuma, Shikamaru had gained something that made fighting just seem all the more worthy. His lazy nature would never leave him, but he was now able to fight with what he'd never fought with before…honor, and pride, and with the will of Fire that everyone in Konoha had.

He trained hard, learned various jutsus under tutelage of the previous generation and his own so as to not only have his shadow jutsus. He ditched his original dreams of staying as a jounin and creating a family, and made it into ANBU fairly easily. He became ANBU Captain One, and set a record – his team would always come back with no injuries, unless light papercuts really counted.

But even then, Shikamaru hadn't been strong enough. He'd failed as a knight. He'd failed to protect the King.

To protect Konoha's will of Fire.

There was nothing left for him but to die. He wished fervently for the Death God to just come take pity on him, and end his life already. He had no more reason to live, no more want to.

But, as if Lady Luck whole-heartedly loved him, he lived. Again. Whether he was supposed to cry out of happiness or more self-pity, Shikamaru didn't know. Maybe at that point it would have been better to die.

And then he wouldn't have had to face all this.

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**A/N : **07.23.08

_Ha, a month from my birthday. And I think today is Sasuke's birthday or something? Woops. Sorry, Sasuke...I spent your birthday talking about your uh…death. Yeah. Eh…happy birthday? ."_

_I'm reaaaally bad at this. The image of Shikamaru is slowly slipping out of my grasp – I'm finding it harder and harder to think like him, even though our original character personalities are identical…somewhat. I NEED SHIKA INSPIRATION! (deer…? O.o) Oh, and I'm starting to think there's a trick to getting reviews or something. Or that might be me being sad. Huh. (Goes off to be anti-social like always and mutter about reviews being overrated)_

_If anyone can give any suggestions? I'm thinking of…GASP KEEPING SOMEONE ELSE ALIVE. If you bother to review at all, please state the name of that person. Of course, they have to be from Konoha. And they have to be worthy enough to spin a whole story about. Kekeke. (like NEJIIIII--splat. Authoress has just died, please excuse her.)_

_Anyway, please read and review. Pleeeeease? With a shirtless Neji on top of a delicious white-icing cake? And strawberries? Oooh. (KILL FANGIRL TENDENCIES) Alright, eh…put that picture aside and please just read and review. I'm starting to find myself really pathetic for getting only one… is that normal? Three chapters and one review? Not really._

_Have a nice day._


	5. FOUR: HER SIN

**DISCLAIMER: **I DO NOT OWN ANY NARUTO-AFFILIATED THINGS PUT INTO THIS STORY. I'M GOING TO GO CRY MY HEART OUT NOW…GOODBYE.

_Does anyone know Sakura's parents' names? Actually, was that even ever released? Oh, I am a __**shame**__ to the Naruto circle! Well, crap. If you know, tell me please, and I'll fix it later. Or if they really never released it, tell me that too. …And that goes for whether the Haruno's are civilians or a clan or stuff like that. For now, I'll just make something up that makes sense…a bit._

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR : HER SIN**

_I don't need you…because I'm not weak. And I won't be, ever again.  
– Sakura –_

* * *

_--A MONTH LATER--_

* * *

On March 28th – the very day she turned into what she believed to be an exquisitely mature, beautiful and invincible six year old – Haruno Sakura lost the first person she'd given part of her soul, out of love, to.

Sakuya.

**Haruno** Sakuya.

_**Her mother.**_

The first person she opened her eyes to…the first person to realize Sakura's existence. The one who brought her, lovingly, into their cruel world.

Haruno Sakuya passed away on March 28th, five minutes after singing an extra loud 'Happy Birthday' to her beloved daughter in replacement of her father's absence.

Haruno Sakuya passed away on March 28th, with a smile still directed to Sakura pasted onto her graceful face, and her own light red hair darkened with her own blood.

Haruno Sakuya passed away on March 28th…her head cleanly sliced off and placed gently on top of the strawberry-melon decorated chocolate birthday cake.

An hour later, when her husband returned home from his Chuunin mission, he found the gruesome sight and broke down. Haruno Takumi then was sent to the Konoha hospital, once the neighbors managed to get him to calm down from his momentary insanity.

After that, his momentary bouts of insanity returned daily – he was then scheduled into permanent residence at the Konoha Hospital, in the insane asylum.

He knew what his daughter had done.

A week later, Haruno Takumi requested an audience with the Sandaime **and** Haruno Sakura – it was granted, providing two medics flanked his sides at all times.

It was in that very office, with a still shaking and terrorized Sakura, that the second Haruno clan member in existence disowned his daughter and ripped the Haruno name from her trembling grasp.

Haruno Takumi was then the last remaining Haruno.

The entire incident was sealed up, signed, and let go by the weary, kind Hokage. He had no choice but to legally remove the Haruno name from Sakura, even though she wasn't blamed for anything. The Sandaime refused to hand punishment out to her.

He shared many talks with Sakura after that – but it hardly made a difference in the drastic shift of wind blowing her life's direction.

She knew what she had done.

The Sandaime tried many tactics to seal the memory – it would have usually been easy to do so, but Sakura's will just wouldn't let it go. He wasn't able to defeat her newfound power and will, and any attempts to help her move on were lost – the nightmare was still clutched tight within her small six year old hands, refusing to let go.

Sakura would never forget it. She wouldn't let herself forget it – her greatest sin.

On March 28th, Haruno Sakuya was murdered by her one and only daughter, Sakura.

* * *

"You need not blame yourself."

It was true... Even if she had been there, Konoha would have still fallen, and her along with it. What good would that have done for her friends? What good would a dead Sakura have been for the world?

"…No…I do."

But as always, in the end, Sakura knew she was right. She **did** need to be blamed. Because…

"I do…because I should have been there."

Because she should have died with them. Because they shouldn't have been left to suffer alone. Because half of it was all her fault… Because she deserved to die, fighting for them.

Because she had once betrayed them all.

The words rang clear in the silence between them. No one said it aloud, but it was thought by both.

He took a slow step forward, towards her – she didn't respond. He took another, and her head bowed down.

The last few steps were covered by the flash of lightning and the pouring rain. When the light subsided, and the thunder roared its cry, it was all over.

Itachi held her close in a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around her thin body.

Thin. She was frail, delicate, and so, so thin now.

"I don't need your sympathy, Uchiha."

But they both knew he was hardly giving sympathy, of all things, to her. The cold voice she was speaking with wavered, and betrayed – her life seemed to revolve around it – her inner emotions crying out from failed attempts to flatten them.

Sakura's hands, soaked and wrinkled in blood and tears, fisted in the front of his Akatsuki cloak. She wasn't crying – that had been sworn off after the first day of mourning.

She wasn't crying…outwardly. Because Itachi knew she'd always cry over it in her heart, which was there – no matter how many times she attempted to convince him she was Akatsuki now.

It had been there the moment she'd approached him, and it was still there now.

And Uchiha Itachi was sinfully glad it was.

His conscience pricked guiltily at the thought of watching her cry in depression, but a sinking feeling within him told him if she wasn't so vulnerable, so able to **feel**, then he would have never been attracted to her.

And they wouldn't be embracing like lovers under the full spatter of rain, surrounded always by legions of slaughtered ninjas.

* * *

"You didn't approach her."

It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"No…she found us first."

The peaceful but rare moment of clarity between them continued to trill quietly within his ears.

"Why did you accept her?"

There were questions that needed answering, and he would be sure to get them solved once and for all.

"You don't know…"

The pause made him sit up and intently fix his partner with a searching look. It wasn't a question…but another statement.

"She's just too powerful."

That he knew. Countless times in the past they had gone on missions together, and he was surprised each time by a new technique she would show him in the deadliest situation during the mission. Afterwards, he would complain in his report about how she was being inefficient and seriously worrying the pants off of him and their mission partners, but it would do nothing.

Sakura had always been a delicate flower, blooming slowly in isolation he only understood partly now. But what he did know, always, was that she was different.

Sakura might have been beautiful, frail, and fragile…but over the times, she developed a power to counter that.

The minute Sasuke left their village in search of power, she solved her fragility in one night.

Sakura gained control of the mighty wind blowing her – the flower – everywhere in life. She was able to control every aspect of her life and move it where she liked, to never be harmed or scratched again – the wind was completely caught under her powerful grasp.

After that, she was never 'weak' again.

"I know that."

His partner shook his head, closing his eyes in what looked to be an unforgettable memory.

"No. You don't."

The moment of clarity was trilling louder and louder in his ears.

"I only witnessed a battle of her's once. It was against Leader – the initiation/test battle."

He suddenly wasn't sure if he wanted to know anymore. But the wave of reality was coming, and it was going to crash down onto him at any moment – he wasn't going to be able to stop it. His partner's deep voice continued, wavering slightly in an emotion he could only label as fear.

"She beat him."

Kisame sat up, fists tightening in an uncharacteristic display of raw emotion. His throat rumbled with a faint sense of laughter, and then his fists loosened their death grip.

"She beat him, and he almost died."

Kisame was chuckling now, his sharp teeth glinting off a shine of light.

"Leader, who could probably just beat the whole of Akatsuki up if he put his mind to it, almost died at the hands of what I figured, at that time, to be an odd, pink-haired little girl that knew nothing of power."

The wave was looming closer and closer… His feet touched down softly and silently onto the ground, walking him over – out of the shadows – to where his partner, Kisame, was now standing and looking at the crackling fire.

"She didn't even look like she was being serious when she challenged him for her initiation battle – we all thought she was mad. The little brat looked like she was going to keel over any moment, her eyes just…"

He trailed off, his own eyes squinting as if trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

"I'm not good with this stuff, but she just looked...sad. Like there was nothing left for her in this world anymore, Zan."

He snorted at the name. God knows what even persuaded to take up that nonsense new name that the said pink haired girl had suggested, but she'd pulled the puppy-eyed look on him and he just couldn't resist.

It made sense, for the Akatsuki to underestimate her. But for her to take down Leader…

"And it just seemed like she was barely even able to stand. So, Deidara warned her when she chose Leader, but she refused to change her decision. The fight…was amazing."

Kisame suddenly rounded on 'Zan', an almost feral look alight in his eyes.

"God, what did they _teach_ in your village? She took him down just like that, and he didn't even get to hurt her, other than for a few scratches…"

Zansatsu no Nagori, as this was his real new name Sakura had chosen, just laughed lazily.

"It's definitely just her, nothing to do with our…village."

Kisame paused.

"Sorry about that."

"Nah, it's nothing."

The village…he was okay now. He'd always been rather easy-going and calm. It only took a week for any harsh feelings from the village to be deleted from his system. Nara Shikamaru, now known as Zansatsu no Nagori, was now Akatsuki. He would not mourn his village any longer.

It was a promise, made one month ago.

Kisame didn't seem to believe him; he waved over Shikamaru with a searching look.

"She was fast – Itachi-san said he could barely keep up with her speed, through the Sharingan. Her punches almost collapsed our whole cave, except most of the time they hit Leader and didn't ruin any more of the cave. I'm surprised he even lived through the whole deal…"

Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows. Sakura had been strong, yes…but not to the extreme level of the Akatsuki Leader.

"And then…she used some sort of thing that looked like a bloodline limit."

"Impossible. Her bloodline doesn't…didn't have any limits or traits," he interjected. There was something the wave was trying to tell him, and he was hellbent on catching it…

"I don't know about these things, but that's what it looked like," Kisame shrugged. "I think Itachi-san knows what she did. But either way…there was this sudden chakra boost, and my Samehada was going crazy in excitement. The power she radiated seemed to float into my own body, and I felt really powerful, in that one instant."

This was impossible. Shikamaru had never read about or experienced anything like that. There were no bloodline limits to provide that kind of reaction…

"But Leader was still panting on the ground, and he wasn't looking any stronger. She **chose** who to give power to. Itachi was flexing his hand and his chakra was higher as well, I saw."

Shikamaru was now positive that Sakura was most certainly _different_…but he hadn't meant in this sense.

"Then…it was just…over."

"Over?" He raised an eyebrow. She released power…and then what?

"Yeah, we didn't see the end of it. Leader forfeited."

"Leader **forfeited**?!"

Kisame nodded, smiling his shark smile.

"Never thought you'd see the day, eh? Well, technically you didn't…but man, she was hot while pouncing on Leader! What if I was the one she'd chosen? I sure wouldn't mind having that hot little thing all over me… And have you seen her with Itachi…? They're both so stubborn on not letting emotions out…"

The wave crashed, the ocean swelled. It harshly droned out the rest of Kisame's useless babble.

Sakura was definitely hiding an immense power he had yet to see beneath her innocent looking features. If it was such a thing as not to be discussed with even **him**, who she had named her one and only brother, than there was no doubt she wanted to hide it or avoid any talk about it.

There was something about her power she didn't like. And Shikamaru wanted to know, not only because Sakura was his only remaining link to Konoha, or that she was his only close family now, but because he just needed to know.

When there was something Nara Shikamaru couldn't figure out, it was inevitably always a most dark secret no one knew of.

* * *

"Sakura."

She nodded. They gathered up the required scrolls, having completed the mission efficiently…meaning her hands were soaked in that hateful blood.

Itachi looked at her once before grabbing the pack of scrolls from the very same pair of red hands, ignoring the fact that his were just as red and just as dark.

"Let's go."

They sprinted off into sunset, back in the direction of Leader's hideout to report their success in the downfall of the entire Hidden Village of Mist.

The blood would always surround her, she knew. Her life had been decided ever since the age of six, on March 28th…

But there were no more tears to cry.

Sakura sprinted away through the trees, alongside the one Uchiha left in the world.

She would be strong – strong enough, so that she would never have to rely on others ever again.

So that she'd make it through, if the cruel rainfall of memories ever came back.

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

_**A/N: **__08.10.08 (treeshie)_

_Oh my god. Did you guys watch the Beijing 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony? Because I sure as hell did. It was preeeetty amazing. Yup. Too bad. I was going to go to the real thing, but my family was like – lot's of people equals TERRORISTS! And so I wasn't allowed to go. Pshh. _

_Sorry. I haven't updated in so long. I just…I don't know. There's recently been some…__**turmoil**__…within my weird, messed-up family, and I've been distracted, I guess? Not really an excuse, but you know the feeling – with no inspiration, how could I write?_

_Yes, the whole thing is a month later. Love for timeskips! Oh, and yes, I now, it's really damned confusing and I never make any sense and too bad! You'll have to understand it the best you can, because I can only understand it in the twisted way author's always do since we write it. Ha-ha!_

_Short chapter, sorry! To whoever asked me this that I forgot (sorry, horrible memory and I'm in a rush as I type this): I'm sure I've now made it clear that Shikamaru will not have Sakura as a love interest. The story will center around them both as revolving points, but right now it's kind of focusing in Sakura. Of course…ITASAKU. YEAHHHH._

_All reviews are much appreciated! (It's a polite way of saying I LOVE YOU YEAHHH) Thanks for reviewing, and hope you keep doing so! This is, after all, my first Naruto baby to be born. I will always love it a bit more than the rest…hehe._

_Have a nice day! (a long author's note, coming from me? Kekeke.)  
_


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